Five Unexpected And Interactive Musical Attractions

By now, you've probably seen the video of commuters playing on the subway staircase-turned-piano keys that a group installed in a Stockholm station, but this isn't the only unexpected musical attraction out there in the world.

As parks and squares become more than just gathering places, but
areas of interaction and public art, we're seeing more and more small
new attractions to stimulate your senses of wonder and creativity. So,
when you're traveling about and whistling to yourself, end a day
happily by checking out one of these Five Unexpected and Interactive Musical Attractions:

· The Hydraulophone at Ontario Science Center (pictured above)
Much like a piano, on the hydraulophone you play individual keys.
Unlike a piano, these keys are water jets that you stop with your
fingers. You can play full, simple songs as though you were simply on a
tin flute, but again you have to get wet. Most visitors to the
interactive musical piece—one giant instrument, really—are usually on
their way into Ontario, Canada's Science Museum, but that doesn't have
to be the case for you. Playing the piece is free, and it sits in a
public square just outside.

·Detroit Airport's transfer tunnel Perhaps the most
relaxing of all these musical attractions is the LED-lit and ambient
music-filled tunnel that goes between Detroit-Metro Airport's two
terminals. After descending an escalator to the start of the tunnel,
you take a moving sidewalk through a tube of changing light paired with
sound. Even if you are experiencing this with forty other weary
travelers, it feels as though the music and light is following only
you, and as a result it is a welcome relief from a stressful travel
day.

· "Bridge Music" On the Mid Hudson Bridge This is for
the road trippers. When driving or walking over the Mid Hudson Bridge
near Poughkeepsie, NY, stop for a moment and listen to the music of the
structure itself. Musician Joseph Bertolozzi has rigged this bridge so
that its natural creaks and noises become music to your ears. Nothing
else but the bridge is playing, and you can listen in two ways: by
tuning into radio station 95.3 FM anytime, or by heading to a listening
station on the bridge when they're open between April 1 and October 31.

· The FAO Schwartz Keyboard FloorThis is a classic,
first brought to the public consciousness when Tom Hanks and his boss
performed a duet of "Chopsticks" on it in the movie Big. The same keyboard, which you play by stepping onto the various keys, still resides on the mezzanine of the FAO Schwartz toy store in New York City, although it's nearly impossibly to get the tourists off the board so that you can really rock out.

· Giant Chimes at Fort Bonifacio Global City
Located on the High Street shopping promenade in this Philippine city,
you'll spot twenty bright red poles sticking out of the ground in the
middle of a grassy area. Then you'll probably wonder why children are
running and banging into them; they are giant chimes! Although the area
boasts many other public art installations, the chimes are by far the
favorite. It's a great break from seeing giant keyboards around the
world too.

Know of any other musical public art installations? Let us know in the comments!